Frameline50: Black Burns Fast

A typical star student who’s navigating high expectations at her elite all-girls boarding school, Luthando is a proud nerd who isn’t afraid to be rivals with a trio of “cool” girls. But when charismatic newcomer Aydana arrives, Luthando’s world is turned upside down. A quickly formed, all-consuming crush soon jeopardizes Luthando’s scholarship and threatens her relationship with her long-time best friend, Jodie.

A delightfully inventive coming-of-age story, director Sandulela Asanda’s debut feature brings its protagonist’s comic book-loving inner world to life in vivid detail, all while portraying the sweetest and most awkward aspects of girlhood and first love. As tender as Heartstopper and as eccentric as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Black Burns Fast is a must-see lesbian young adult yarn.